Liquid-measuring apparatus



June 17 1924. 1,498,108

` c. H. MORSE LIQUID MEASURING APPARATUS v Filed Dec. 1a. 1920 2sheenslsheen 2' Patemealune 17,1924.

emma.' n; Monsr., or TAUN'roN, mssAcnUsE'rTs.

LIQUID-msnm@ APPARATUS.

appnauon'mea December 1s, 1920. se'rm No. 431,685.A

To all 'whom it may concern! 1 Be it known that I, CHESTER H. Mensa,citizen. of the United States of America and resident of Taunton, inthe-count of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, ave invented new anduseful Improvements in Li uid-Measuring Apparatus, of which th fol owingis a specification.

This inventlon relates to dispensing apl- I l0 paratus for liquids,particularly ofthe type wherein a definite measured quantity' is fedinto a container from which the llquid is to be drained. Apparatus ofthis nature, to be accurate and dependable, must neces'- .16 sarily besimple and free of moving parts;

these conditions demand a simple' vessel for measuring the li uid.:

The problem t en lies inmaking certain that the correctquantity ofliquid to be dis-v 20 pensed is in the vessel.- If graduations on thevessel alone be depended upon, it is evident that the quantity can bevaried within very appreciable limits and still appear correct,particularly 'in a device that is lar e enough to measure from one to'ten' al ons such as the gasoline trade requires.

omel additional means is then demanded for accurately determining thequantityv in the'vess'el.

-- lIt is not suilicient, however, that such a quantity determiningmeans is capablejof givin .accurate measure. It .must also be of sucanature .that it can not be manipulated by the dealer to deceive thepurchaser; for if 1t is under his control he can tamper- -with-theadjustments toV deprive -his customers without any danger 4of detection.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide accurate quantitydetermining I l means which can not' be altered by the dealer; toprovide a device 0f this'nature which can "be adjustedl to giveaccurate.

measures; to provide such a device which "can be sealed withtheassurance that the adjustments can-not be changed; and to;

provide a device that will measure diierent quantities. In addition,this invention has .for its objects the provision of means insuringready flow from theV vessel for rapid drainage. pear from-.thedisclosure which follows.

The most .suitable means for insuring an "accu'rate uantity of. liquidin avesse] has been foun to be an overow for tliquid that Furtherobjects will ap the purpose of illustration, the dispe is inexcess ofthe required amount. Such an overflow means-is therefore adopted in theembodiment here chosen for illustration. However, this overflow is soarranged that it can: not be altered in any Way b the dealer'.-Therefore a 'full measure of liquid' is deliveredwhen. the vessel isdrained.

To, deliver variable quantities a graduated series of overflow isprovided, one overflow for each of the measures required. Theseoverflows are enclosed in a vessel made with transparent walls, so thatthe liquid may be seen and the customer 4assured as -tothe quantitydelivered. The upper end of the vessel is sealed air-tight by aremovable cover which when removed permits :freev ac# cess totheinterior, but its'removal is prevented by a-seal .which is applied forexample by a government oicial. As long as this seal is intact theinterior of the vessel l can not be reached. Each of the overflowsis'adjustable within the vessel so thatl at the time of sealing ltheirheight-can be regulated, and the various quantities which the apparatusdelivers vaccurately fixed. As an Aadditional precaution the separableparts,

forming a vessel `may be provided. with seals or vlotherwise securedagainst separation. Rapid' and ready` delivery of all liqvuid 'in thedraining means is" provided Aby having an air connection tothe drainingmeans justV below the outlet valve,I so thatv the air has ready accessand prevents the formation of a partialvacuum, which would retaintheliquid. v

In the accompanying drawings,- A .Figure'l is a vertical-section 4of thepenser; Y

Y Figure 2 is any elevation;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fi 1 Figure 4 isaorizontal section on the line Figure 5 is a' line 5 5 ofFig. 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical section Ithrough the horizontal section on. the

has an upstanding annular flange 1'1 closely surrounding the.

lower end of the glass wall 9. A packing 12 'of cork or the like betweenthe platel and the lower end of the cylinder seals the cylinder. Withinthe flange 11 is formed side openings 13. A sight glass 14, with packingrings 15 and 16, is secured in each ofv these openings by a collar 17.vThe upper plate 10 has an annular portion 18 encircling the upper edgeI of the glass `wall, a packing ring 19 being 1nserted between the walland this plate. T he' I plate 10 is provided with an opening 2() givthebottom plate 8 and thence with a small pipe 29. Another post-22 has anaxial passage for the lampcord 31 communicating with a passage 32leadi-ng to the lamp compartment.

The vesse so formed by the plates and the wall is sup orted on thecasing 33 and secured thereto by a flange 34 depending from the plate 8.l

.The opening 20 in the upper plate 10 is normally closed by a glassplate or closure 35 supported on a ledge 36 provided about the openingperiphery, cork packing 37 being inserted between the glass and theledge. This glass permits light to pass into the vessel and also givesready accessv to the interior of thevessel by its removal. To preventsuch removal without detection small bolts 38 (Fig. 3) are threaded intothe plate 10 and a wire or wires 39 are passed through holes in thesebolts and the ends of the wire sealed. These bolts are sufficient innumber to prevent lateral removal of the closure; The result is thatthese bolts can not be removed or the glass removed without firstremoving thel wire.. A-lamp house or canopy 40 is placed over the glassplate 23 shown in Fig. .1.

This may be provided with glass panels 41 and Within the canopy issuspended a light .valve 46 ofa type that .is normally closedl by aspring and opened by a handle 48. Be-

low the valve 46 the outletV pipe is connected' i 4to the small pipe 29.(Fig. 6) andas this pipe is open tothe atmosphereI the airV has freeaccess to the outlet` pipe. .Consequently there is no tendency to retainany liquid by the formation of a partial vacuum.

Extending through the bot-tom plate 8 of the vessel are a series ofoverflow pipes 49,

50, 51, 52 and 53. These pipes are provided with collars 61 fast'thereto immediately above the bottom plate so that the pipes can not belowered below their proper portions. The overflow pipes are connectedbelow' the vessel with a p1pe 54 which communicates with a supply tank.A valve 55 of a type normally'closed by a spring is provided for each ofthese pipes except the highest one, the valve having an operating handle56. The highest overflow (49 in the five gallon il-r lustration) havingno valve permits air to pass out of the vessel while being filled.

The upper ends of these pipes within the vessel are supplied withadjustable heads 57 which may be made of couplings threaded to the pipesand which may be secured in adj usted position by set screws 58. Each ofthese pipes is adjusted to overflow when a definite quantity of liquidhas been supplied to the vessel. Thus, as indicated by the markers shownin Fig. 2, the 4pipes over-v flow at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5- gallonsrespectively.' For example, if three gallons is required, the overflowpipe 51 is opened (the others being closed), and liquid is fed into thevessel till it overflows through pipe 51, With the liquid standing atthe level of overflow 51 the vessel contains exactly 3 gallons and thismeasured quantity may then be delivered through the outlet 45; if 5gallons is required, thev overflow 49 is opened; etc.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that different amounts may bevisibly measured by means disposed whollywithin the glass vessel, themeans being so enclosed and sealed that it can not be tampered with toshort measure acustomer..

The unique" method of illumination re-nders the contents of the vesselclearly visible at all times. Y

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a bottom member, anannular flange upstanding therefrom, said flange having a sight openingtherethrough, a transparent cylindrical shell having one end seatedwithintheflange member, a cover engaging the-opposite end of said shelland means for-'securing said bottom and cover inoperative relationship.l

v2. Liquid measuring apparatus comprising'a transparent vessel open atthe top and bottom, covers for said openings, rods connecting saidcovers, one of saidrods being hollow, a drain extending from the bottomcover, and an air duct connecting said drain with said hollow rod,whereby said drain ycommunicates with the atmosphere at a 130 pointabove the level of the liquid in the vessel. Y

3. A device of the character described including a base portion, a tanksection mounted thereon and a cap member for the tank, there being aplurality of hollow rods connecting and securing together the base andthe cap for the tank, electric connections extending through one of saidhollow rods for controlling illumination of the tank, an outlet pipe forthe tank, and connections between another ot' the hollow rods and saidoutlet wherebey said rod provides an air passage to the outlet extendingabove the tank.

4. A device ol' the character described including a metallic base memberhaving an upstanding 'annular fiange, a transparent tank-forming wallrising from the base member and enclosed by the flange, a cap for` saidwall, a transparent closure .plate secured in position by said cap andan illuminating device carried by the cap for directing illuminationthrough the removable closure plate into t-he transparent container.

5. A device ot' the character described including a metallic base memberhaving an upstanding annular tlange. a transparent tank-forming wallrising from the base member and enclosed by the flange, a cap l'or saidwall, a transparent closure plate secured in position by said cap and anilluminating device carried by the cap plate for directing illuminationthrough the removable closure plate of the-wall into the transparentcontainer, the upstanding iange'having apertures formed thereinsubstantially on a level with the bottom of the tank and interiorlyclosed by the transparent wall whereby said apertures permitot viewingof the illuminated bottom of the tank as the same is emptied.

Signed by me at Taunton, Massachusetts, this thirteenth dav of December,1920.

` CHESTER H. MORSE.

